


Jealousy

by QueenHimiko



Series: Ceiphied's Curse [1]
Category: Slayers (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-15 15:18:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5790472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenHimiko/pseuds/QueenHimiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The always precarious balance of life is upset when Lina and Gourry's daughter finds a fertility statue.  This is a background story for Beneath the Portrait.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own "The Slayers," I just play in the sandbox.

Lina gnashed her teeth in annoyance as she caught Phoebe placing her foot over Rigel’s, which caused his breath to catch in his throat. He gently placed a hand over hers, and the sparks flying between them were so intense Lina feared her precious manuscripts would catch fire. She’d been trying to ignore them for the last two hours. She really didn’t care if her team got together during their off time, as long as they didn’t bring it into the office. But today for whatever reason they couldn’t keep it professional. “If you two can’t keep your mitts off each other you might as well go home and get it out of your system!” She snapped.

Phoebe and Rigel looked up, “Really?” Rigel asked as Phoebe’s face took a pinkish hue.

“Get!” Lina said, feeling even more annoyed that they didn’t even seem abashed.

Exchanging coy smiles, the couple grabbed hands and ran off. Lina shook her head and considered her remaining team. Gretelle had a dusty old manuscript out but wasn’t making her usual meticulous notes, and Lina had a suspicion that she was reading the same paragraph over and over again. Morris wasn’t even pretending to work, he just kept staring at the doorway anxiously. Lina was annoyed, but her annoyance was upped by the fact that she herself was having a difficult time focusing!

Focusing on research that was. Focusing on the idea of running to her parent’s store, fetching her husband, dragging him home and slowly seducing him on the other hand…

She shook her head and took a deep breath and wondered why she felt like a hormonal teenager all over again. But then, it didn’t just seem like her. Her whole research team seemed to have come down with a distracting case spring fever. Well, it was the first day of spring. And it had been a long, brutal winter. Who would want to spend such a lovely day cooped up indoors after day after day of such crummy weather? But as the day progressed, Lina noticed a sexual tension building, something more than just spring fever. And judging by the lusty, lovelorn gazes of her team, she wasn’t the only one feeling it!

Lina looked at the report she was writing and gave it up as fruitless. “Fine, we’re having an early day today, go home.”

Gretelle and Morris looked at her, astonished, “Really?” Morris asked.

“Go, get it out of your system, and come back ready to work tomorrow!” Lina said.

Lina started to gather her stuff, planning a nice romantic evening as she did. Gourry likely wouldn’t be home for a few hours, and that would give her time to prepare an intricate meal. Ever since she started up her work with the guild she didn’t have the time she used to for cooking, but every now and then she liked to surprise him. She tried to plan a menu, but every time she did her thoughts kept skipping to what would happen after dinner. Once again, Lina wondered what had gotten into her!

Gretelle opened the door to leave and exclaimed, “Oh, Min! What are you doing here?”

“Good day, Gretelle. I was just stopping by to visit my mom.”

“Good timing, I was just about to leave.” Lina said.

“I’m really glad I caught you, then.” Min said as she took a seat as Gretelle and Morris closed the door behind them, “I was wondering if you could do me a big favor and watch the boys tonight?”

Lina frowned. Usually she loved the opportunity to watch her grandchildren, but tonight she was set on a romantic rendezvous. And rather grateful that all three of her children had flown the nest so that she and Gourry could be as loud and obnoxious as they wanted. “Can’t. Your father and I have plans tonight. Perhaps tomorrow?”

“Oh,” Min sighed, obviously disappointed as she bit her finger, and Lina recognized that same look of lust in her face she’d seen in everyone else’s. “I guess I’ll try Grandma and Grandpa then.”

“You do know they’re getting rather old to look after two such rambunctious boys?” Lina said reprovingly.

Min shrugged, “Aunt Luna will be there to keep them in line.”

“What’s with this all of the sudden?” Lina asked, “Some emergency?”

“No, no.” Min said hastily, “Just really needing some time alone, you know?”

Min sighed, obviously in sexual frustration, surprising Lina with just how open she was being about it. Min was usually more discreet. Still, Lina chuckled, reflecting once again on how happy she was to have grown children, “I remember those days.”

* * *

Lina had just gotten all of the ingredients set out on the counter when Gourry came in, grinning in his endearing manner when he saw her. From the gleam in his eyes, Lina could tell he was feeling just as libidinous as she was and would require little seducing to get going. She wasn’t sure whether to be excited or disappointed. “Hey!”

“Hi!” she replied in her best come hither voice as she tossed her hair behind her shoulder and decided excited was definitely the direction to go. She winked at him, “You’re home early.”

“So are you.” He noted as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her and started nuzzling her neck. Lina’s grin turned devilish as she noted that he was hard.

“No one could seem to focus on work today, so I sent everyone home.”

“Hm,” he said as he moved his hands up to cup her breasts, “Must have afflicted the whole town. No one was shopping, and all I could think about was seeing my pretty wife and making love to her, so I left.”

Lina laughed. The part of her that thought something odd was going on was drowned out by the part of her that didn’t want to investigate because it would get in the way of getting laid. As she turned around in his arms to kiss him on the lips she asked, “What did you tell my parents?”

He broke the kiss momentarily, “Just…” he started, stopping to kiss her lips, “that I…” he moved down to her jaw, “had errands to run.”

“Hmm,” she said as she started to trail her hands through his hair and down his back, “But you know, I really should get a start on dinner.”

Even as she said it, she was pulling his shirt out of his pants as his own hands started to trail up her skirts, “Not hungry.” He said, “Well, not for food at least.”

Lina gasped as he grazed a sensitive spot, and brought her legs around him. There followed a frenzied effort to remove the other’s clothing, and then to gain stability against the kitchen counters needed for the task. It was passionate and frenzied, and as they finished, Lina decided it was some of the best sex they’d ever had.

Lina felt as though she was glowing as he continued to hold her as she prepared dinner, “Twenty something years and three kids later, it’s good to know I can still stoke that sort of fire within you.” She chided.

“Don’t ever doubt yourself there.” Gourry said as he planted a kiss on her shoulder, “You’re all the more beautiful for all we’ve been through together.”

Lina hadn’t thought it possible, but just like that she was ready for him again! But she managed to make it through dinner before she jumped him again. And they made it to the bedroom that time.

It was when she woke up to a still amorous Gourry the next morning that this it really started troubling her. Even when they were young newlyweds three times in a twenty-four hours was taxing. But after they had finished Lina still found she was strangely reluctant to get out of bed. For that matter, Gourry didn’t seem all that eager to get moving either.

Slowly they managed to drag themselves up. As they dressed they nearly ended up back in bed several times. All told, by the time she left for work she was running considerably later than she usually was. When she got to her office she was a bit perturbed to find she was the first one there. And as she got out her research but found her thoughts distracted yet again with thoughts of erotic adventures with her husband, she started to wonder if there was a reason for it. Whatever this was, it was not spring fever!

Yet as the afternoon wore on Lina found that the intensity of her arousal dissipated. And when her youngest, Attie walked in, Lina found that she wasn’t too disappointed. Attie traveled a lot and still stayed with Lina and Gourry between trips, meaning they wouldn’t be alone that evening. Unless, Lina considered, Attie decided to hit the taverns as she often did. “Hey,” Lina said as she gave her youngest a hug. “How was your trip?”

“Rather uneventful.” Attie said as she started munching on an apple. “The usual really.”

“That’s nice. Have you seen your father?”

“Yeah, stopped by the store first.”

Lina waited for some sign that Attie had met someone. Lina had been so young when she met Gourry, and had married him when she was eighteen. Both Dianna and Min had also met their husbands and married at that age. But at the age of twenty Attie showed no interest in finding someone or settling down. And Lina had thought her sense of wanderlust had been strong!

“So, how long are you sticking around this time?” Lina asked.

Attie shrugged, “A few weeks likely.”

* * *

“You weren’t joking, this was one of the best books I’ve read since-,” Dianna said as she breezed into her sister’s office and stopped when she saw how unusually disheveled she looked, “Min, you look horrible! Are you feeling okay?”

“Thanks.” Min replied warily, but she couldn’t fault her for being right. Usually she kept her appearance immaculate, but she’d been running so late that morning she hadn’t been bothered with anything beyond the basics. “And I just didn’t sleep much last night.”

“Oh? The boys keeping you up?” Dianna asked as she put a hand on her swelling belly.

Min grinned, “No, let’s just say it was more enjoyable pursuits.”

Dianna raised an eyebrow, “You too?”

“Why? Were you and Kenneth busy last night?” Min asked.

Dianna grinned slyly and cradled her belly, “I’ve never made it to six months before. We were celebrating.”

“Humph.” Min said even as she hid her apprehension from her sister. Dianna harbored a shard of Shabranigdu in her soul, and Min had a bad feeling that it was only a matter of time before he caused Dianna to miscarry again. Why she kept getting pregnant and tempting fate was a mystery to Min. Still, she knew it was useless to try to reason with her, especially as she was more than half way through and what would happen would happen, “I guess something was in the air yesterday. Mom wouldn‘t watch the boys when I asked her, something about wanting some time with Dad. And I had a heck of a time convincing our grandparents to take them!”

Dianna considered her, “You know, there does seem to be something in the air.”

Min shrugged, “Well, it was a brutal winter. And now it’s a lovely spring!”

“Hm.” Dianna said, “Well, I’ve got patients to see.”

“Anyone due to pop?” Min asked the midwife.

“No, just regular checkups.”

Min took a deep breath as she left and stared at her desk. Visions of bringing her husband to her office and consummating their love on the desk rose in her mind and she shook her head. What had gotten into her? Min wasn’t sure how long she sat at her desk before Dianna came barging in, her eyes wide and holding a statue Min had found while scavenging through the archives. “What idiot left this in the foyer?” Dianna asked.

Min bristled, “Me. Found it in the archives yesterday, thought it would be a good way to honor Sophia, Goddess of Wisdom.”

Dianna shook her head incredulous, “You idiot! This is a fertility statue!”

“No it isn’t!” Min insisted, “The box was clearly labeled…”

“It was mislabeled, then!” Dianna snapped, “Use your head, Min! I’d expect Attie to make this sort of block headed mistake, but you…”

“What makes you so sure it’s a fertility statue?” Min asked, “She’s holding a stack of books…”

“Min, those are her breasts!”

Min got out her glasses and put them on and looked at the statue. “Well so they are!”

“Minerva!” Dianna shrieked.

Min waved her hand dismissively, “So everyone got a bit frisky. I can go and put it back in the catacomb I found it and everyone will return to normal. Nothing wrong with a little extra love.”

Dianna stared at her and Min had a feeling that she was thinking she was the biggest fool ever, “Minerva, these statues are rare and valuable! You could probably get a hundred thousand gold pieces easily for this. Because they do a hell of a lot more than make everyone frisky! They cure infertility, which is why they’re so highly sought, but they also nullify sterility spells!”

Min sat down, “Nullify sterility spells?” She repeated dumbly.

Dianna nodded as Min put a hand to her mouth, “But I don’t want another one! Those boys are wearing me thin as is! I can’t go through this again!”

“Not just you, but every woman who has come within a certain distance to this statue!” Dianna spelled out, “And you’ve had it in the foyer of the guild, which is in the middle of the agora in Zefiel City where thousands of women pass through each day, hell, I don’t know a townsperson who doesn’t pass through this street every day.”

“Of come on, Di! It’s just been out one day! Just because you have sex doesn’t mean you’ll get pregnant.”

“This statue causes a woman to ovulate instantly, no matter where she is in her cycle!” Dianna insisted, “Like I said, these are worth millions! You have no idea how much childless couples will pay to walk by this thing!”

Min shook her head, “Well, at least we have a way to improve tourism to Zefiel City. This will bring in some money at least, and I do hope you’re exaggerating, especially about it nullifying sterility…Oh no.”

“What?” Dianna asked as Min’s eyes grew the size of saucer cups.

“Mom. What if she got knocked up?”

“Oh boy.” Dianna said as she sat down next to her sister. “You said she seemed to be feeling frisky yesterday?”

Min nodded, “If she gets pregnant she is going to kill me!” Min stomped her feet, “Damn, if she has another baby she won’t be able to help me with this third one! Any chance that she hit menopause and didn’t tell us?”

“No, she was complaining about her time of the month a few weeks back.” Dianna said matter of factly. And then a giggle escaped from her lips.

“Stop laughing!” Min exclaimed.

Dianna shook her head and covered her mouth, but the giggles kept escaping. “I’m sorry, it’s just, Goody Miss Perfect screwed up for a change!”

“Well, maybe it doesn’t boost fertility.” Min said desperately, “I mean, perhaps it just gets everyone nice and frisky but that’s it.”

Dianna shook her head as she kept laughing. Min fumed, “Well, let’s go and take a test.”

Dianna thumped her on the head, “Idiot! It takes at least two weeks to tell!”

“Huh?” Min said, once again feeling unusually idiotic.

“Look, the earliest we’re going to know is two weeks from now.”

“You mean I’m going to have to wait two weeks to see if I’ve ruined everyone’s lives!” Min exclaimed.

Dianna glared at her, “A baby is hardly a life wrecker.”

Min managed not to say it was because she’d never had one, but barely. “Oh, everyone is going to kill me!” Min said instead.

Dianna sighed and patted her on the shoulder, “Come now, everyone adores you. Just bat your pretty eyes at them, fess up to being human and they’ll forgive you.”

Min broke out into a sob. Dianna shook her head in exasperation, “Look, what’s done is done. Let’s put this up for now so we can all get our minds back to focusing on work and out of the gutter. In two weeks I’ll test you, and if you’re pregnant, we’ll figure out what to do then.”

* * *

“What’s this about?” Lina asked warily as she and Attie followed Dianna and Min to the catacombs.

For the past two weeks Lina’s mother sense had been tingling whenever she saw her older two daughters. She could smell the fact that they were hiding something from her. And try as she had to whittle it out of them, they just weren’t caving. So Lina wasn’t too surprised when they approached her first thing in the morning, Dianna looking as though she was about to burst from laughter, Min looking petrified. At long last, she was going to find out their secret.

Dianna nudged Min as they came to a door and she opened it, “You remember a few weeks back when everyone was, well, frisky?”

“Yes.” Lina said slowly.

Min bit her lip, “Well, a few weeks back I was down here, and I found this statue.”

She handed Lina a statue of a woman. Lina’s jaw dropped, “Whoa! I wonder how long this was down here! This is worth fifty thousand gold pieces at least!”

“See, she knows just what it is!” Dianna said.

Min groaned, “Oh, stop making me feel worse!”

Min looked at her mother and was about to continue when she noticed the look of horror on her face. “Mom?” she asked nervously.

“You didn’t.” Lina gasped.

“She did.” Dianna confirmed, her voice higher than usual with subdued laughter.

Attie looked at the three of them, “I’m confused.”

“What were you thinking!?” Lina screeched as she rounded on her middle daughter, “You brought this out of the catacombs…”

“And put it on display in the foyer.” Dianna added.

“The foyer!” Lina bellowed as she pulled at her hair, “I can’t, I mean, I could see Attie doing something like this but you, you should know better! What were you thinking!”

“That it was Sophia!” Min insisted on the verge of tears, “The box she was in said Sophia!”

Lina shoved the statue in her face, “Since when does Sophia spout breasts the size of extra large watermelons?!”

“I thought they were books.” Min said as she wiped tears from her face.

“Books!” Lina screeched, “Oh you’ve got to get your eyes checked! Not to mention your womb.”

“I did.” Min said dissolutely, “I’m pregnant.”

“I hope it’s twins!” Lina spat, “What a mess, half of the town is probably…”

“I’m making an announcement as soon as I tell Drake. Dianna already has all the midwives on standby to handle all of the testing they’ll be doing. They’ll probably call for my resignation.” Min said as she sobbed.

Lina took a deep breath, a mental step back, and then put a gentle hand on her shoulder, “You can overdo the honesty. Just tell them some idiot brought up a box of stuff which was not sorted properly, and a fertility statue just happened to be among the junk in there.”

Min continued to cry. Lina sat beside her and wrapped her arms around her, “Look, we all make mistakes. Pull yourself together. By this time next year you’ll be so in love with that new baby you won’t even care that he wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Mom,” Dianna said gleefully as she put a hand on her shoulder, “There’s a chance that you’re pregnant, too.”

Lina stiffened, “No, not at my age.”

“You haven’t had the change yet, have you?”

Suddenly Attie giggled, “You’re not seriously saying…”

She stopped stone cold at the look her mother gave her as Min seemed to sob even harder. “Oh.” Attie gasped.

Lina stared at Dianna, aghast. “Come on! I’m forty-five!“

“You’re still young enough.” Dianna insisted. “And those statues boost fertility.”

Lina shook her head, “Let’s settle this, then.”

Dianna brought out a vial of clear liquid, “I just need a drop of blood.”

Lina unsheathed her sword and pricked her finger and held it over the vial. The blood fell into the liquid, trailing green as it made contact. Min moaned as Dianna smacked her lips, “Looks like we’re going to have a little brother or sister.”

Lina shook her head, “This is a joke, right? You two having a laugh at my expense?”

“I can’t fake this!” Dianna insisted, “Besides, you remember that night!”

Lina blushed as Min kept crying. “Oh enough with the water works!” Lina yelled.

“Agreed.” Dianna said, looking at Min coldly, “You don’t know how many women would be happy to be in your shoes. Or yours, Mom.”

“Don’t you dare tell me how to feel about this, Di!” Lina snapped. “Your father and I were going to travel again! If we have another baby by the time he’s old enough we’ll be too old to go anywhere! Besides, we’ve got grandchildren to care for, and I’m so busy with work and I just…I just don’t have the energy anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Mom.” Min whispered.

Lina put her head to her temples as Dianna packed up the statue, her mouth in a firm line. “Do you need a test, Attie? You arrived home the night Min packed this away.”

Attie shook her head and blushed, “I haven’t, I mean, I’ve never slept with anyone, so...”

“Well, unless you want to end up knocked up as well, then I‘d suggest chilling with a cucumber and that telub vib spell I taught you.”

“I did not need to hear that.” Lina said as Attie turned crimson. Then Lina slapped her hands on her thighs, “I’d better go before I say something I regret.”

Min looked stricken as Lina hurried up the stairs. Attie looked between her mother and sisters, “Perhaps I should talk to her?”

Dianna shook her head, “She’s probably going straight to Dad. He’ll help her calm down. And for goodness sake’s Minerva, Mom’s right, pull yourself together and face the music!”

* * *

Lina’s thoughts were a frantic blur as she raced to her parent’s store. Part of her was still hoping Min or Dianna would run up behind her and assure her they were joking, even as she knew it wasn’t likely. Min was fond of jokes, but Dianna was not. Besides, in retrospect it all made way too much sense. Lina wondered how she couldn’t have realized at the time that something more than spring fever was at play that day.

She raced into the store, causing Gourry to nearly jump as she stormed in, “We need to talk!”

“What did I do?” he asked as Lina’s mother came into store.

“It wasn’t you, it was Minerva. Our daughter. The one I thought was smart.”

“Min?” Gourry said, perplexed, “She’s never given us any trouble.”

A customer came in. Lina glanced at him, “Mom, you deal with him.”

Then she grabbed Gourry by the elbow and led him into her parents’ house. “Sit down.” Lina said, indicating the table.

“You’re scaring me.” Gourry said as he did as she asked, “Come on, is it really that bad?”

Lina folded her arms across herself, “Min found a fertility statue, mistook it for a knowledge statue, placed it in the foyer of the Sorcerer’s Guild and got half of Zefiel City knocked up.”

Gourry’s eyes widened, “Huh?”

Lina groaned in frustration, “Oh, but they get this from you!”

“So, half of the city is pregnant?” he asked. “Does this include anyone we know?”

“Well why else do you think I’m so upset?” she snapped, “It reversed our sterility spell. I’m pregnant. So is Min. In nine months we’re going to have a new baby and a new grandbaby!”

Gourry put a hand over his mouth, “You’re pregnant?”

Lina nodded, resisting the urge to hit his thick head. “Now you’re getting it.”

He grabbed her arm and gently moved her so she was sitting on his lap, “Are you going to be okay? I mean…”

Lina scoffed, “Oh, I’m sure I’ll be fine! Unless, of course, we have another one who harbors the soul of Shabranigdu. That I’m not sure I can survive.”

Lina shuddered as Gourry ran a hand up and down her arm, “Well, it may not have been something I was expecting, but as long as you’re going to be okay, I’m sure we can work through it.”

Lina let his words sink in, and then leaned back and rested her head against his chest. He kissed the crown of her head as she sighed, “It’s just, we still have our hands full with Di. Sis is right. There’s no way he’s going to let her carry to term. Having a baby would give her a reason to live in this world, not destroy it like he wants. She’s going to miscarry any day now, and with the whole city expecting I’m scared she’s going to align with Shabranigdu. Like Luke did.”

_And then I’ll have to kill her. Like I killed Luke._

She didn’t say it out loud, but he seemed to pick up on it and held her tighter. “I just thought, we’d raised our kids. We could be free again to travel. But we’ve never been able to. Not with Di as fragile as she is. And with this baby on the way…”

He put his fingers to her lips, “Perhaps a short, weekend trip? Before the baby arrives. It’s better than nothing.”

Suddenly he lifted his head to look at the door, alerting Lina to the fact that her mother had finished with the customer and was coming to see what all of the commotion was about.

“What’s going on?” Mrs. Inverse asked, her voice a mixture of concern and curiosity as she approached them.

Lina sighed. She might as well get the news out. Granted, she would have felt better if her mother hadn’t laughed so much.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get darker in this chapter. You have been warned.

Gourry found Min tucked into a corner of the town hall. The room was filled with women waiting to see a midwife to be tested, and the noise from their conversations was so loud that figuring out what they were saying was difficult. Still, Gourry managed to catch enough snippets to decipher a general theme to their reaction to the news that most of the women in the town were likely pregnant.

He sat next to Min and put a hand on her shoulder. ”Looks like you still have your job.” He said.

Min nodded, “Overall people seem to be taking it well. I guess compared to the rampaging golem that Xilef unleashed, or that year that Beol tried to increase the grape production in the vineyards and ended up killing three quarters of them, well, a rash of unexpected pregnancies certainly is less devastating than that.”

Gourry nodded, “Yeah, when you live so close to a sorcerer’s guild you tend to get used to finding yourself at the wrong end of some experiment gone amok.”

Min smiled as she punched him gently on the shoulder, “What would you know about it?”

He patted her on the head, “Well, I’m kind of surrounded by sorceresses. After a while you just accept that the furniture is going to get singed.”

“Well, maybe this next one will be a swordsman.”

“Well, that would be fine,” he said, a note of surprise in his voice, “But when you’re surrounded by sorceresses things are never boring.”

Gourry noticed as Min relaxed noticeably, “So you’re not mad?”

“You know, back where I came from we didn’t have sterility spells. These things just happened. You sorceresses take controlling the elements for granted in a way I never did.” He shrugged, “Besides, it just means another person I’m going to love is on the way. It will be okay.”

“How mad is Mom?” she asked.

Gourry shrugged, “She’s coming to terms with it. Though, you might want to lay low until the morning sickness passes.”

Min grabbed her own stomach, “Somehow I don’t think that will be a problem. Wow, I still can’t fathom being pregnant with Mom!”

A young woman went running from the booths, calling the name of her husband as she did. Min spotted Dianna coming to the front of the queue to get her next patient and watched as the woman cried, “We did it! After all this time!”

As her husband hugged her Gourry pointed them out, “And for some people, this is a pleasant surprise.”

Min smiled a bit, and then stopped when she noticed her father stiffen. “What is…”

Suddenly Dianna screamed as she keeled forward. Min’s heart sank as gooseflesh erupted on her skin as Dianna started begging, “Please let me keep this one!”

“Oh no.” Min groaned as she and Gourry stood up and started making their way through the crowds.

“It’s happening.” He said quietly as the other midwifes came out to bring Dianna back behind the curtains. Considering Dianna’s red robes it was hard to be sure, but Min could detect a horrible glistening to them that indicate the presence of blood seeping through them, and as they got to where she was standing, they had to be careful not to slip on the blood on the tiles.

* * *

By the time Min went back to the town hall after helping her parents get Dianna home after her seventh miscarriage, the crowd of people waiting to be tested was gone and the midwives were starting to pack up. Min was glad that the crowd had dispersed. She was still shaking with fear. But her parents were with Dianna. Surely they would keep things under control.

Min did her best to steady herself as she walked to the midwives, wanting to get some numbers on how many women had been affected when she stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Attie emerge from behind a curtain. For her part, Attie looked just as blindsided to see her there. “Don’t tell me you’re…”

Attie raised her hands and shook her head frantically, “Looks like I dodged that spell.”

Min exhaled in relief, “But then what are you doing here?”

Attie looked around, and then walked with Min to a private corner on the room, “Had a fling when I got home that night. Just someone I met at the pub. Nothing to write home about. I wondered if the statue had anything to do with it.”

Min’s eyebrows hit her hairline, “You had a fling? Was that the first one?”

Attie blushed, “It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally. I just can’t resist a tenor.”

Min laughed, “And you had all of us sold on that virgin line.”

Attie grabbed her arm, “Please don’t tell anyone.”

Min patted her hand, “We’ve got more important things to worry about.”

“I heard.” Attie said. “I was afraid of that. That’s why I didn’t say anything this morning, just in case I was.”

“Well, it’s not like you would have hidden it from Di forever if you were.” Min pointed out, and then her eyes widened, “Or would you have…?”

Attie put a hand on her arm, “I’m not, so it’s no use worrying about what I would have done.”

Something clicked within Min, “Di’s the reason you don’t settle down, isn’t she?”

“What, a woman can’t be happy on the road?” Attie asked.

“It’s not that, but it’s just you’re so like Dad. So family oriented.”

“Well, I’m helping the family.” Attie said, “I’m continuing the family business. Besides, Di still sees me as the baby of the family. It would crush her if I had a child before she did, so if it helps keep her steady it’s no big deal. I get to sleep in as late as I want, and stay up as late at the pub singing songs for as long as I want and go wherever I want. I don’t mind.”

“You say that now, but what about when you’re older?” Min asked.

“I might change my mind.” Attie said with a shrug, “But for now, it’s fine. Besides, both you and DI keep such big secrets from your husbands keeping this under wraps. I don’t think I could carry that burden into a relationship.”

“Everyone has secrets.” Min replied, but she did know what Attie meant. Early in their relationship Drake had often asked probing questions. He seemed to know that there was more to the standard “spells” explanation to explain why Dianna was the way she was, but after all these years seemed to have figured that if was so bad no one in the family talked about then he didn’t want to know. Still, there were times when Min just wanted to tell him and get it off her chest.

Attie patted her knee, “Goodness, you look exhausted. Go home and get some rest and don’t worry so much about me. I’m happy.”

* * *

“How does this keep happening?” Kenneth, Dianna’s husband, said as he buried his face in his hands.

“I guess there’s still just so much we don’t know about this.” Lina said as she stared out of the window of Kenneth and Dianna’s cottage. “Di just can’t carry to term it seems.”

“Enough of that!” Kenneth spat, “You know more than you’ve ever told me!”

Lina stared him down. But the truth was, Kenneth was right. Lina and Gourry had been against Dianna marrying him. They couldn’t risk telling him that she held part of Shabranigdu in her soul. Dianna at least agreed to that. In her mind he was marrying her, not Shabranigdu, and at the headstrong age of eighteen she truly believed that she had had her passenger cowed and that he wouldn’t affect their relationship. But then the miscarriages started happening.

“I told you it would be a mistake to marry her.” Lina pointed out. “You knew she was unsteady. I don’t see how this is a surprise to you.”

“Shut up!” he spat. Lina shook her head and was about to go into the bedroom to see how Dianna was doing when he said, “Wait. She won’t stop. But I can’t keep going through this. You know a spell, right?”

Lina felt shaky with relief. She had wanted one of them to perform one after the first miscarriage. She and Gourry had never been comfortable with the idea of Dianna having a child. While Dianna swore she would keep Shabranigdu’s rage from it, Lina knew just how rage producing raising children could be! That, and she couldn’t stop thinking of Zelgadis and the horrors that Rezo had put him through. While she would have liked to have believed that she and Gourry had raised Dianna better than that, she was too horrified of finding she was wrong.

“Why don’t you go and talk to the midwives and have it done.” Lina said, realizing that she could knock two birds out with one stone. She needed to see how close Dianna was to letting Shabranigdu take over, but she couldn’t do that with Kenneth hanging around. If he went to get a spell done he would be out of the way. “We’ll stay with Di until you get back.”

Kenneth nodded, and left the cottage. Lina sighed and walked into Dianna’s bedroom. Gourry was sitting beside the bed, a hand on her arm, talking quietly to her as tears leaked from her eyes. Beside her was the remains of her daughter, born dead. Lina looked at him inquiringly and he shook his head, “I can’t get her to let her go.” He explained.

“She’s just so beautiful.” Dianna whispered as she caressed her face before dissolving into tears.

Lina felt her stomach twist. Much as she believed it was a good thing that Dianna couldn’t have kids, she still hated seeing her go through this! She wished she could find a way to tear Shabranigdu’s soul from hers so she should could be free to pursue her dreams. But it was impossible.

And now they had to worry about Shabranigdu using this opportunity to take over. Jealousy set Dianna off. And with the whole city now pregnant, he couldn’t have timed it better.

Before Lina could say anything she heard the door open and wondered if Kenneth was back so soon, but Luna walked in, straight up to Dianna, pulled her up by her nightgown and slapped her across the face.

“What the hell are you doing?” Gourry flared as Dianna rose from the bed.

Luna glared at her, “Did you really think there would be any other outcome?”

Dianna stared at her dead baby. Luna raised her hand again and Gourry grabbed it. Lina raced to get in between them both, “Is this really the time?” Lina asked.

“Your idiot daughter keeps giving him gift wrapped opportunities to seize control!” Luna shouted, “Twice should have been more than enough for her to learn her lesson, but she kept getting pregnant. The Dark Lord is not going to let her carry to term! I tried to tell her as much before she got married, but no, she wanted those things…”

“Things that everyone else wants and everyone else has!” Dianna screeched, “It’s not a bad thing to want them!”

“When you’re cursed you have to accept certain sacrifices.” Luna said. “And I’ve lived just fine without them!”

“You made that decision! I didn’t! I didn’t ask for this! Ceiphied specifically cursed me with it!” Dianna insisted, and Lina felt the guilt surge through her. Ceiphied wouldn’t have marked their daughter if Lina and Gourry hadn’t been so efficient at killing Shabranigdu in the past.

“Tough, you have to make do with what you’re dealt in life.” Luna snapped, “First, he’s not going to let you have a child and bond with it, because then you’ll have a vested interest in the continuance of this world. Second, Shabranigdu gets people to revive him by targeting the thing they want most but can’t have. If you’re ever going to defeat him you have to let go of having children!”

Dianna looked down at her baby, and Lina chewed the inside of her lip. With pretty much every woman in Zefiel City pregnant, that was going to be difficult. “Perhaps you can travel with Attie for a bit. At least, until this baby boom is over.” Lina suggested.

Silence hung ominously in the air for a moment, but then Dianna said firmly, “No. Aunt Luna is right. I just need to give this up.”

Lina looked at Dianna quizzically and couldn’t escape the feeling that this was too easy. Dianna sighed, “Look, he just killed my daughter. I’m not going to give him what he wants by destroying the world.”

Lina shared a look with Gourry, who looked just as nervous as she did. Nevertheless Dianna continued, “And I can’t leave Zefiel City right now. I’m the best midwife this town has ever had, and as we are in the midst of a population boom, well, I’m just going to have to pull myself together and see it through.”

“But Di…” Gourry started.

Dianna shook her head and cut him off, “Look, Min has long, difficult labors. And Mom, your pregnancy is more at risk because of your age. I need to be here. No matter how much it hurts. And finally, Aunt Luna, were you afflicted by the statue?”

Luna was silent for a moment as the air became chilly. Lina looked at her sister, who was always so duty bound that she couldn’t possibly imagine her becoming intimate with someone. Finally she said, “Well, I am only human, too.” And walked out of the room.

“Oh boy.” Lina said as she shook her head.


	3. Chapter 3

Dianna could not suppress her smile as her mother screamed and trembled. At last, she was transitioning. It was the most difficult part of labor, and the part that Dianna liked best when her patients got to it. She never felt guilty for enjoying it. Since she became a midwife the urge to take people into the woods to hurt them had largely abated. Labor was going to hurt either way. As strange as it would seem that someone with a piece of Shabranigdu in their soul would get into this profession, it was a surprisingly good fit.

 

Dianna even wondered if that was why Rezo was attracted to healing, in addition to curing his blindness. As a healer you meet plenty of people in pain.

 

“You’re almost there. The worst part will be over soon.” Dianna said as Lina relaxed and rested her head against Gourry’s shoulder as she tried to catch her breath. It was not often that fathers stayed with their wives, and Dianna found that his mixed feelings of guilt and fear especially heightened the effect. And each time Lina’s face contorted in pain those feelings reached a delectable crescendo!

 

She put a hand on Gourry’s shoulder and asked, “If there was a way to feel it for her, would you?”

 

Gourry looked at her, startled, “Is there?”

 

Dianna grinned, “No.”

 

Gourry gaped at her. Even Lina stirred, obviously perturbed by her remarks. Usually Dianna tried not to let her passenger interfere with her bedside manner, but there were times she could not help herself. Before he could say anything she turned around and walked to the washstand and started prepping for the arrival of her newest sibling. Lina tensed again, and Gourry and Mrs. Inverse started to coax her through it. Even with all of the noise, Dianna still heard the front door open and Attie walk in. She had made sure she would be in town when the babies were due. Considering most of the town was pregnant and due at the same time, the community of help that a family received with the arrival of a new baby was going to be extremely diffused. Attie and Dianna were tasked with their parents, while Min was also going to get help from her in-laws. Lina’s parents would be helping Luna when the time came.

 

Dianna started scrubbing up as Attie walked up and stood in the doorway. When she saw that her mother was hard at work she quickly turned around to face the hallway, “No baby yet?”

 

“Not yet.” Dianna said quietly, “But soon. Considering how long it’s been since you were born she’s progressed rather quickly.”

 

“Good.” Attie said as she folded her arms, wincing as her mother screamed from inside the bedroom. When Lina quieted again she said, “Aunt Luna is still quiet, but when I stopped by to check on Min she said her pains were starting.”

 

“How far apart? And for goodness sake come on inside.” Dianna said as she started the triage process. Lina’s labor was going well and progressing normally. While Lina’s first delivery had nearly killed her, after going on to have two standard deliveries with Min and Attie it was generally agreed that it was Dianna’s passenger that caused that delivery to be so treacherous. Likely Dianna could call a different midwife in if needed and Lina would be fine. Min, on the other hand, tended to have complications. And there was not a midwife who was more talented than Dianna.

 

“I’m fine out here. And nine minutes.”

 

“She should be fine until I finish here. I really don’t think Mom’s is going to waste too much time to come out.” Dianna said as she dried her hands, “And don’t be scared. Come on in! It’s not every day you get to see a new sibling born.”

 

Attie looked at her in surprise, “It’s not weird to you that you’re helping Mom give birth?”

 

Dianna shrugged, “When I’m on the job, I’m on the job.”

 

Attie cringed as Lina screamed again. “I don’t see how you do this.”

 

But she tepidly stepped into the room and hung back around the dresser as Dianna confidently strode to her parents. She noticed their hands clasped tightly together and how Lina braced herself against him as though he was an anchor. Once again, Dianna acknowledged the impossibly high bar her parents set for a successful marriage. Nearly thirty years together and they still seemed so attuned to each other and worked so well together. She had thought she was going to have that with Kenneth. But, not even ten years with him and she wasn’t sure they were going to last much longer.

 

Dianna pushed her feelings aside as she reminded herself that she was on the job and, more importantly if she had timed it right, the transition period was over. “Let’s check and see how it’s progressing.”

 

Lina nodded, and Dianna swiftly examined her, “Looking good. Head is engaged. You should be feeling the urge to push.”

 

“You think?” Lina snapped.

 

Dianna patted her on the knee. “Shouldn’t be too much longer.”

 

And she was correct. Not twenty minutes later she was placing her newborn sister on her mother’s chest. And Dianna recognized all too well that look of euphoria, that rush of love as Lina broke down into tears of happiness. Dianna watched and mustered every bit of detachment as she could as Gourry kissed the crown of Lina’s head before placing a hand on his new daughter’s back. Dianna tried to bat the feeling away.

 

But still it rose.

 

Dianna had known it was a long shot. But she also knew Lina had not wanted another baby. Part of her had been hoping that her parents would give the new baby to her and let her raise her. Every time she indulged in the fantasy she mentally smacked herself. Her parents would never trust her with a baby. But still. Foolishly she clung to the hope that they would have been moved by her grief over losing the latest one. But as she watched her parents welcome their new baby she knew that that was what that baby would remain. Their baby.

 

Dianna took a deep breath as she waited for the afterbirth and stared at the new baby. She looked so much like the baby she had lost. The pain stabbed her heart. Behind her she heard Attie sniff and she glanced at her. Attie was smiling even as she was crying. A quick glance told Dianna that her grandmother was also feeling that overwhelming happiness. Suddenly Dianna felt very alone in her grief.

 

Attie clasped her shoulder, and Dianna nearly jumped out of her skin, “Thank you for dragging me in here.” She whispered, and then she asked loudly, “What are you going to call her?”

 

“Pomona.” Lina said as she stroked her head and then she laughed, “Looks like we don’t vary the pattern. She looks just like the three of you did!”

 

Gourry stroked Lina’s hair, “Why mess with it when you get such good results?”

 

He looked over at Dianna, relief etched into his features that both Lina and the baby were okay. “You did an amazing job, Di.”

 

Dianna shrugged, “Mom put in the hard work. I just caught the baby.”

 

“We felt a lot better knowing you were here.” Lina said.

 

Dianna was not interested in hearing their praise when she was struggling so much to hold it together. It was a rotten consolatory prize compared to what she was wanting. “I’ve got to finish up here. Min’s labor has begun.”

 

For a brief moment Dianna thought of leaving before she had cast a healing spell on her mother to force her to live with the pain of being torn apart until she got back, but she forced herself to stay until she was healed.

 

“Are you going to be okay, attending to one delivery after another like this?” Gourry asked as she was gathering her stuff to leave.

 

“Well, considering the volume right now, all of us midwives are pulling in long hours.” She said as she closed her bag.

 

Gourry put a hand on her arm, “Not all of the midwives carry the burdens you do.”

 

Dianna bit her lip, “The red passenger is under control. Besides, you know Min is high risk, and I’m the one tasked with the high risk cases. Never lost a mother.”

 

Gourry’s lips thinned, and then he pulled her into a comforting hug, and Dianna could sense that overwhelming fear. Was he scared for her or Min? Or both of them? “Just, take care of yourself while you’re taking care of her, okay?”

 

Dianna fought against tears, “We’ll be fine.” She grabbed her bag and headed towards the door, “I’ll stop by and tell you all about your new grandchild as soon as I’m able.”

 

But as Dianna walked to Min’s house, all she could think about was the opportunity. With her mother recovering from delivering a child, she couldn’t stop her from letting Shabranigdu take over and destroy the world. With the whole family preoccupied with the new arrivals likely no one would notice that she had slipped out until it was too late.

 

Dianna took a deep breath. She had a job to do. The months since she lost her baby had been anguishingly hard, what with all of the swollen bellies and influx of patients. But Dianna had her pride. If she gave up now she would be saying she wasn’t tough enough to handle it. She would be giving into the monster who had killed her baby. So she had to focus on Min. It would crush her father if anything happened to Min.

 

When Dianna got there Min’s mother-in-law, Cathy, was there and Drake had already gathered the boys and taken them elsewhere. And as their butler was home with his wife who had just given birth, and both their maid and cook were at home recovering with their new babies, it was Cathy who answered the door.

 

“I’m so glad you’re here. Her water has just broke.” She explained as she ushered her into the house.

 

“How far apart are the contractions?” she asked.

 

“Six minutes.”

 

Dianna nodded as she walked into the master bedroom and was only slightly surprised to see that Min was lying on her side and reading between contractions. Dianna shook her head, “In all my years of doing this, you are my only patient who had ever read while in labor.”

 

“Once this baby comes I’ll be so busy I don’t think I’ll ever have the opportunity to crack open a book again!” Min explained, and Dianna wished she would stop talking about the new baby as a burden. But unlike her parents, she knew there was no way Min would give her the baby. Even if Min was inclined, Drake would not allow it.

 

“Let’s get you checked out.” Dianna said.

 

“Did Mom have her baby?” Min asked as she moved to the bed.

 

Dianna winched at the words “her baby.” Her mother’s baby. “We have a healthy new sister. They’re calling her Pomona.”

 

Min laughed, “Poor Dad, sill the sole man in the family.”

 

“You know, I think he likes it. Besides, as long as everyone is happy and healthy then that’s…” Dianna’s voice trailed off.

 

“What?” Min asked.

 

“It’s going to be fine.” Dianna said once she had taken a breath. “We’re just going to check baby’s heartbeat now.”

 

“Oh, here it comes, it’s not too bad right now though.” Min said as she shifted to make herself more comfortable as the contraction built. Dianna patted her knee as she got out a cone. The umbilical cord had prolapsed. Depending on the baby’s heartbeat Dianna could either try to manually put it back in place or put Min under a sleep spell and perform a caesarean.

 

_Or_ , a foul voice said in her head, _you could let it die._

Dianna shut her eyes as she put the cone to Min’s stomach and started to count. But it was hard. All she could think about was how Min had everything. While her marriage to Drake wasn’t as strong as their parents’ marriage, it was still enviable considering how things were between herself and Kenneth. Min had two beautiful sons, and a large, nice house with a housekeeper and a cook! And Min had always been so popular and adored.

 

Dianna had been popular in a sense. A notorious one. She was notorious and scorned.

 

Sure, Min had had her little crises. But nothing like the agony of losing pregnancy after pregnancy.

 

Dianna could neglect to intervene. Min would pull through, but depending on how the baby was sitting on the cord it could starve itself of oxygen and suffocate. Likely no one would look too closely into what she could have done different. She could still retain her place as the best midwife in Zeferia.

 

But then, if she let Shabranigdu take over, then even that would matter. And before the world ended the perfect Min would know what it was to lose a child.

 

Dianna exhaled and focused on counting the heart beats and her job. She wanted to avoid a caesarean. To put her under a spell heavy enough that she wouldn’t wake up from the pain would mean she would be out for a good eight hours and wouldn’t be able to feed it until then. And the way things stood, wet nurses were at a premium. Granted, Dianna decided, Min could afford it. Or worse come to worse they could take the baby to Lina.

 

_Or_ , the voice said again, _you could cut her open without the sleep spell. You could heal her up as soon as the baby is out, she could nurse immediately, and think of all of that pain!_

 

Dianna closed her eyes and told her passenger to shut up. She worked hard to focus and frowned as she listened. Min’s contraction abated and she looked at her, “What’s wrong?”

 

“I need you to listen to me carefully and do everything I say. The cord is prolapsed. Right now his heart beat is good, but I’m going to have to constantly monitor him to make sure it stays that way. If it goes down, I’m going to have to perform a caesarean.”

 

Min’s eyes widened at the thought of being cut open as Dianna continued, “We also need to get that cord back in place. Here, lay with your head down, and put your feet up.”

 

Dianna got the cord back in place easily, but from there on it was a nerve wracking labor. Dianna was constantly monitoring Min to make sure the heart rate did not drop and was in fear of her own thoughts about letting the baby die. The thoughts troubled her. What if the baby did die? Would it have happened either way, or would it have been because she had messed up somehow? That she had let Shabranigdu take over and get in the way of doing her job? Or worse, that she herself had deliberately slipped up to kill the baby?

 

She always liked to blame the less attractive aspects of her personality on Shabranigdu. When she hurt people, it wasn’t her, it was Shabranigdu. But the fact was, when she hurt other people, it was because she wanted them to hurt, allowing her will and Shabranigdu’s to align. If the baby died, and if it was because of something Dianna did, or failed to do, then that death would be on her hands.

 

Dianna monitored Min more obsessively than she usually did to compensate for her thoughts. And then she started to emotionally withdraw. She knew she should help Min rally through the contractions, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. The bedside manner she had mostly maintained while assisting with her mother’s labor was shed completely. Dianna’s thoughts became so disturbed that she decided she needed a breather. “I’m just going to fix myself a cup of coffee.”

 

“Do you need me to get that, dear?” Cathy asked.

 

Dianna shook her head, “I need a moment.”

 

“Enjoy your damn moment and remember I don’t get a fucking break!” Min spat as she kneeled over the bed, the book forgotten, and her face red and tear stained.

 

Dianna grinned as she soaked in the animosity. It was almost as revitalizing as the coffee! “If you need me, scream.”

 

Dianna walked into Min’s immaculate kitchen and found what she needed. She’d just finished the cup when someone knocked on the door. She went and opened it. “Hey,” Attie said.

 

“Come on in.” Dianna said. “How are things?”

 

“Dad and I tested Pomona at dawn. She’s free of the curse.”

 

Dianna nodded. Considering how normal Lina’s pregnancy was, that was not surprising but still a relief. Attie continued, “Pomona is eating well. When I left Mom was sleeping and seems to be on the mend. Before she went to sleep she told me to tell Min that she is forgiven.”

 

“Min will be glad to hear it.” Dianna said caustically as she started to walk back to the bedroom. Attie followed nervously.

 

“And it’s a busy night. Grandma was going to come over to help with Min, but she stopped by her house first and found that Aunt Luna was in labor. She sent Grandpa to tell me to tell you.”

 

“Hm. Any news on that?” As a first time mother at the age of forty-seven, Luna was delegated to the high risk category. But as things were, Dianna could not leave Min.

 

_You could leave her. If you take Attie down and leave now, no one will be able to stop us._

 

Dianna shook her head and asked Attie to repeat herself. “I went with Grandpa to get another midwife.”

 

“Which one?”

 

“Connie.”

 

Dianna nodded, “If it’s not me, then it had better be Connie. And Min has had complications. I can’t leave her unless something serious happens with Aunt Luna.”

 

Attie patted her arm as they reached the bedroom, “Connie told me to tell you she has it under control.”

 

Dianna was relieved. She did not think she could handle a third delivery after this one. She got out her stop watch and walked into the room, “Look who’s stopped by.”

 

Min looked at Attie and then rested her head back on the mattress. “What is she supposed to do, speed this up?” she snapped.

 

Dianna patted Attie on the arm and whispered, “Just ignore her. It’s the labor talking. And if prior history is anything to go on, she’s just going to get snarkier as this progresses until she gets it all out of her system, then she’ll lie there, dormant as a kitten, too tired to even scream...”

 

Attie looked a little white and interrupted, “So, how much longer?”

 

Min’s hands clenched in the sheets and she tensed. Dianna started the watch, “I’d say about four or five more hours. Well, until she stops with the snark.”

 

“Bitch! I heard that.” Min spat.

 

Dianna smiled to herself. She knew she should stop. Usually she could keep her enjoyment of it under control around her other patients. But still. At the end of the day Min was going to have everything she wanted. Provided she kept it together and didn’t do anything to the baby. Fear arouse in Dianna as she started to worry about the heartbeat. When was the last time she had checked it? Meanwhile, Attie looked nervously from Dianna to Min as Dianna got out her cone and said. “Here, let me listen to the heartbeat again.”

 

“I think I’m going to go.” Attie said.

 

Dianna shrugged. Attie walked up to Min and put a hand on her shoulder, “You’ll get through this.”

 

“And until you’ve gone through this, shut up!” Min said.

 

“If it helps, you’ve helped me decide to never have kids.” Attie said. And then she rushed out of the room.

 

Hours passed agonizingly slowly. And as they passed, Dianna did start to feel a bit of sympathy for Min. Cathy was not a good coach and while Lina was usually there now she was recovering from her own birth, likely making the experience even harder than her previous labors. Dianna warred with putting her resentments aside and being more supportive herself and her desire to make Min suffer like she was suffering.

 

Dianna took a deep breath as she remembered Aunt Luna telling her to always do the harder thing. It was the best way to fight him.  Dianna exhaled, and when Min next cried out in pain she put a hand on her arm, “Focus on my hand.” Dianna said calmly, “There, it’s almost over.”

 

Somehow Dianna worked herself into a rhythm. Check the heartbeat. Support Min. Fight her feelings of jealousy. Shabranigdu’s voice receded as Dianna’s compassion grew. Her fear that the baby would die started to abate as well. Finally Min made it to the point where it was time to push. Dianna heard the front door open but was too busy coaxing Min to pay too much attention.

 

“Is it safe to come in?” Drake asked from the hallway.

 

Dianna rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Come on in, you’re just in time.”

 

Drake walked in, obviously expecting to see the baby already born and was stunned that it hadn’t been. But before he could protest Dianna said, “Hold Min’s hand.”

 

Dianna was not someone to be disobeyed, so Drake did as she asked, looking nervous as hell. Well, if she wasn’t going to torment Min, she would settle for making Drake uncomfortable. Dianna looked at Min, “Almost there. One or two more big pushes, okay?”

 

Min nodded. She got the head out with the next contraction, and then the rest of the body followed. Dianna felt relief wash through her as the baby screamed. He was alive! A bit bluer than she would have liked, but still alive!

 

“It’s a boy.” Dianna said as she placed him on Min’s chest. Min laughed with relief as she held him, looking extremely tired but euphoric. Much as she had resented her pregnancy, Dianna recognized that she was falling in love with her youngest.

 

“Oh my goodness, Min.” Drake whispered, “Is this, is this all normal?”

 

“Quite.” Dianna said coldly. Neither Min, Drake or Cathy noticed. They were all wrapped up in the new baby. Dianna was thankful for that. Because now that she had seen mother and baby safely delivered, she felt as though she was suffering under the weight of her depression.

 

She kept an eye on the infant as she tended to Min and healed her up, her movements becoming more and more mechanical as the child started to pinken and become livelier. Dianna’s worries had not been realized. Min’s son would be fine. Dianna, meanwhile, would go home to a quiet, cold house. After her latest fight with Kenneth she was still not speaking to him.

 

Suddenly it was unendurable being in Min’s beautiful, perfect house. She started to pack up her bag and hoped that she could get out of there before she started to cry. Then she started to fear that she had overlooked something, missed something important. So she gave Min and the baby another exam and saw them settled in. If anything was wrong, Dianna could not find it. But the thought that something could be, that she would find out in five hours that the baby was dead worried her.

 

She left and hurriedly walked to her home. She knew she should check on her Aunt Luna but she could not bring herself to do it. Between her mother and Min she had been at work for eighteen hours straight. And she still had twenty patients on her caseload. Aunt Luna would be fine with Connie. She needed to get what rest she could before the next woman popped.

 

Dianna swiftly walked down the street, and thought too late that she should have taken a different route. From inside every other house it seemed you could hear the wail of a newborn baby. Tears started to pour down Dianna’s face. And then she stopped walking. Going to her house was unendurable, but where else was there to go? Lina and Min were basking in the joy of their new babies in their homes. Luna was delivering one of her own at her grandparents’ home. There was nowhere she could get away from it.

 

Except for one.

 

Dianna trembled as she veered to the east and started to walk towards the woods. As she saw it, she had two options and the perfect opportunity to execute either of them. She could merge with Shabranigdu and usher in the destruction of the world. Or she could kill herself, start the reincarnation cycle again, and let someone else shoulder the burden of carrying him. She could save Kenneth the trouble of divorcing her, and her parents and siblings the burden of caring for her while they struggled to raise their new babies. It wasn’t as if anyone would be torn apart by her death. And now that she had seen her mother and sister safely delivered, there wasn’t even a need for her.

 

And besides all that, she was so tired. So very tired of fighting him. Steadily she walked into the woods. Soon, she would find peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Dianna’s sight was so blurred by tears that had she not known the way by rote, she likely would have had to stop walking until she composed herself. As it was she let the tears fall. They got heavier as he started talking to her.

 

_You’re just delaying the inevitable._

 

She was too tired to respond.

 

_We’ll never have another opportunity like this. Your mother cannot defeat me in her condition. Neither can your aunt._

“All the more reason to destroy us now.”

 

_I’ll only be more powerful in my next host._

 

“That’s not my problem.” She said as the trees started to thicken.

 

_But then you won’t be able to see the suffering. You won’t see the world burn._

“Just shut up!” she said as she clutched her head.

 

_You know you want to see the world burn._

“Not nearly as much as I want to spite you.” she said as the world grew darker as the canopy of trees grew thicker. “Murdering my baby was the wrong way to go.”

 

_It worked the first time._

 

“But not this one!”

 

Dianna finally got to her clearing. She took a deep breath as she knelt down on the grass and drew her bag in front of her. She opened it and pulled out her sharp knife that she used for surgeries. She put it to her throat, the blade cold against her flesh. She took a deep breath.

 

“So it’s come to this.”

 

Dianna screeched as she jumped, cutting herself. But it was only a shallow cut. She put her hand to her wound and looked at the grass, shocked that she’d not even heard Attie approach. She exhaled, “What are you doing here?”

 

Attie leaned against a tree and folded her arms, “I saw how you and Min were. I was worried about you so I stayed close to her house. When I saw you walking in this direction I knew I had to follow you.”

 

_Take her down. On her own she is no threat to us. Take her down and no one can stop us!_

 

Dianna shook her head and clenched her eyes shut, “I’m not letting him take over if that’s what you’re worried about.”

 

Attie’s blue eyes flashed, “I’m worried about you! I’m worried that you have a knife to your throat!”

 

_She’s worried about having to explain to your parents. She doesn’t really care about you. Take her down!_

 

Dianna shook her head, “The whole time I was there I wanted to kill Min’s baby.”

 

“But you didn’t!” Attie said, “He’s fine!”

 

“But it’s only a matter of time before I hurt someone!” Dianna said, “Or before I give him what he wants.”

 

She gasped as she felt him gain power. She saw Attie stand up straighter and Dianna realized her aura must have been changing. Dianna put the knife back to her neck, “Better turn around and go. It’ll be easier for everyone. Mom and Dad have a new baby, they can’t be worrying about me. Same with Aunt Luna.”

 

“Fine, then.” Attie said as she walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “If you’re going to do this then do it. But you’re going to have to do it with me watching. But I want you to fight him. And if you do, you’ll fight him with me beside you. But if you really want to kill yourself, then you’ll have to do it in front of me. Either way, I’m standing right beside you.”

 

Dianna sobbed as she dropped the knife. Attie breathed a sigh of relief as she knelt down to pick it up. Dianna collapsed onto her lap. Attie stroked her hair, shaking with adrenaline. “Dammit, Di. If you weren’t here who would go to the pub with me when I’m home? Min is too busy playing hostess, advancing her career and raising her kids. And I certainly can’t go with our parents. Do you know how much I would miss you if you were gone?”

 

Dianna gasped for air, “I’m sorry. I’m just so tired.”

 

Attie took a deep breath, “Then let’s get you home and get you to bed.”

 

“I can’t face Kenneth right now.”

 

Attie looked up at the cover of the trees. She was used to camping outdoors, but something about this place that attracted Dianna so gave her the shudders. Still, she was dead serious when she told her she would fight him with her. “Then rest here. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

 

* * *

 

 

Gourry gently rocked Pomona back and forth as she lay on his chest, sleeping contentedly while he stared out of the window and reflected. Pomona’s slight weight was so reassuring. He knew exactly where she was and that she was safe. As for his three adult daughters, well, that was a different story.

 

The last of the daylight was vanishing, and it had been hours since he’d heard from them. He worried about Min with her long, difficult labors. He worried about Dianna and her mental instability. And he worried about their typically stalwart Attie, who had been their messenger, relaying news between their households. But they’d not see her since late that morning when she left to find a midwife for Luna (who, incidentally, they’d also not heard from).

 

Gourry looked at Lina, who was getting some much needed sleep. They may have had spells to heal the physical damage that labor wrought, but it didn’t mean that it still wasn’t taxing on her body. Dianna had even explained once that, since the Recovery spell took energy from a person’s body to be performed, it was even more imperative that a postpartum mother rest least she fatally exhaust herself. The thought of leaving her alone with Pomona was terrifying. What if she overdid it while he was away? But then, so was the thought of leaving the house with a newborn he could not feed. But he was almost ready to chance it. He was desperate for news about his girls.

 

Pomona started to fuss as she rooted for a nipple. Gourry sighed and got up and gently put a hand on Lina’s arm before coaxing Pomona beside her. Even though it had been twenty years since they had Attie, Lina still managed to bring her to her breast in a half sleep state and got her to latch on with barely waking. Surely they would be fine while he went to check on Min?

 

“Hm.” Lina murmured as she opened her eyes, closed them, and then opened them again in alarm as she looked out the window again and saw how dark it was getting. “Is it that late already?”

 

Gourry nodded.

 

“Any news?”

 

“None.”

 

Lina bit her lip worriedly, “Why don’t you see what is happening?”

 

“Will you be okay?”

 

Lina smiled, “We’ll be fine. Go check on them.”

 

* * *

 

 

“It’s a boy!” Drake announced joyfully as he opened the door and let Gourry in.

 

Gourry felt some relief. That Drake was joyful indicated that Min and the baby had both made it through the ordeal okay. “That’s wonderful.” Gourry said as he followed him into the house. “Are Dianna and Attie here?”

 

“Attie? I think I saw her hanging around the house when I came in. That was some time ago. Di left after the baby was born. Not sure where she went.”

 

“Hi Dad.” Min said as they walked into the room, “You ready to meet Wally?”

 

Gourry smiled as he picked up his newest grandson. “Welcome, little one.” He said.

 

But his anxiety prevented him from fulling enjoying the moment. “Min, do you know where Di went? We’ve not seen her since she left to help you this morning.”

 

“Oh,” Min said, “Well, we heard from Attie that Aunt Luna had gone into labor. Perhaps she’s with her? Dammit, I should have asked her where she was headed before she left.”

 

Gourry patted her knee, “I’m sure you had other things on your mind. I’ll check back as soon as I can.”

 

* * *

 

 

Gourry barged into his in-laws house hoping against hope that Dianna had decided to go there.

 

“Hello?” he called when he found the ground floor empty. He looked at the stairs, but he was nervous about intruding on his fearsome sister-in-law.

 

His father-in-law suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, looking morose. “Gourry.” He said he climbed down the stairs. “Is Di with you?”

 

Gourry’s heart accelerated. “No, I was looking for her, actually. Why, what’s wrong?”

 

Mr. Inverse chewed his cigarette as he got to the bottom of the stairs and sat at the kitchen table, looking in a state of shock. “Luna’s fine. But her baby...She really wants to talk to Dianna.”

 

Troubling as the news was, what was more troubling to Gourry was that Dianna was not there. He started mentally smacking himself. Dianna had been so fragile after her latest miscarriage. And with all of them busy birthing and caring for babies, somehow the rigorous watch they’d always kept on Di had faltered. Gourry debated going to her house or checking the woods first. He settled on the woods. If she was at home asleep the world would be safe either way. But if she was in the woods…

 

“I’ll send her over as soon as I find her.”

 

* * *

 

 

There was a part of the canopy that thickened right before it thinned dramatically. But until that happened, Gourry never had a clue about what it was he would find. Dianna peacefully tending to her shrine? A field of slaughtered animals with no trace of Dianna? Or worse, bodies? Or nothing? The possibilities petrified him. And in the dark, it was only worse.

 

He pulled back some branches and exhaled as he solved the mystery of what happened to not just one, but two of his daughters. Dianna lay slumped in Attie’s lap. It was easy to piece together what had happened. He saw a knife on the forest floor and a trace of blood from a shallow wound on her neck, but thankfully it looked as though Attie had stopped her. Attie was dozing and stirred as she heard him approach. She smacked her lips as she swiped at her face, obviously exhausted. “Hey.” She said.

 

“Hey.” Gourry said as he came up and knelt beside them. Dianna didn’t even stir. He put a hand on Attie’s shoulder, still shaky from relief. “How is she?”

 

Attie looked at her sister, “I think she’ll be fine now. I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner. When I saw how she was while Min was in labor I was worried. I mean, she was fraying pretty bad, you know? I was so scared that if I even left to tell you what was up she would flee and do something stupid so I stayed around just in case.”

 

Gourry wrapped her in a sideways hug, “You look like you did fine.”

 

Attie smiled, “How’s my newest sister?”

 

“She’s amazing.” He said.

 

Dianna’s eyes suddenly shot open. “Dad?”

 

“Hey,” he said as he pulled her into a hug, too giddy with relief to be mad, “I thought I told you to take care of yourself.”

 

Dianna sighed as any hope of this brush with suicide being kept a secret between her and Attie vanished. But then, Dianna was resigned to the loss of privacy that most adults enjoyed. Sometimes she wondered if her family passed around a newsletter with the latest gossip about her printed on. “Min had a very difficult delivery. It was all I could do to take care of her.”

 

Gourry pulled away, “Your neck.”

 

“Here.” Attie said, “Recovery.”

 

It didn’t take long to heal the wound, and Dianna found some rags to clean it with. Fortunately the blood did not stand out against her red robes. As Dianna was gathering her stuff she asked, “How is Mom and the baby?”

 

“Doing well.” Gourry said, suddenly anxious to get back to them now. Attie was more than capable of caring for Dianna.

 

“How about Min? Have you seen your new grandson yet?” she asked as she finished packing her bag and they started to walk through the woods.

 

“Yes, they’re both doing well.”

 

Dianna relaxed. Surely if she had messed up and harmed him then he would have been floundering by now. Her fears truly had been in her own head. But there was still another person she had to check on, “Any word on Aunt Luna?”

 

“Oh,” Gourry said. “I can’t believe I forgot. She’s asking for you actually. Something is wrong with her baby. I’m not sure what, though.”

 

* * *

 

 

Dianna had been worried that it was some sort of negligence on Connie’s part that had harmed Luna’s baby. But as soon as she saw him resting on Luna’s chest, she realized that even if she had been there the whole time nothing would have changed. Sometimes there’s just nothing that can be done for the babies.

 

“Oh Aunt Luna.” She said. The first thing she had noticed was that, for a full term baby, he was tiny. Then more troubling things became apparent. The bluish tint to his skin. His facial features with the small, slanted eyes and flat nose. His tiny chin and mouth. Like many babies with such features, Dianna could tell just by looking at him that he had a fatal heart problem. It was the reason his skin was blue. She estimated that he wouldn’t make it through the night. “I’m so sorry.”

 

Her formidable aunt was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the window. “Sit down.”

 

Dianna felt nervous as she did as she was asked. Her relationship with Luna was complex to say the least. Her feelings about her mixed. She wasn’t even sure if those feelings were from her or from Shabranigdu. But she did fear Luna greatly. Was she mad at her for not catching it? She waited anxiously for Luna to say something else, but she didn’t.

 

But, sad as she was for Luna, there was also a feeling of great sympathy. And, horrible though it may be, Dianna was now not the only one in the family who would be grieving the loss of a baby. And somehow, the fact that it was Luna, the most powerful member of the family, made it easier. Because of their curses, they both shouldered heavier burdens.

 

Finally Dianna could not stand the silence anymore, “I guess it makes sense. I carry the soul of Shabranigdu. You carry Ceiphied’s. Neither of our passengers would want a family to interfere with what they want for us.”

 

Luna’s mouth pursed. “Don’t go making the mistake in thinking they curse their human host with the same trials just because they want opposite ends of the same spectrum. Ceiphied would have loved for me to have children. Because of my power they would have been powerful allies for him. This was not Ceiphied’s doing. I guess it was something wrong with me.”

 

“Aunt Luna, plenty of women who have a baby like this have had healthy babies.” Dianna said. “Give yourself a few months to recover and we can dredge up that statue and…”

 

Luna put a hand on her arm. “I never understood you.”

 

Dianna looked at her, paralyzed with fear over what she would say.

 

“Until now.”

 

Dianna waited for her to continue. Luna sighed, “I never wanted a child. Serving Ceiphied has dominated my life so thoroughly that I never had room for anything else. And it was one thing he wanted from me that was my right to refuse him. This much, and nothing more.”

 

Luna stopped for a moment as she readjusted the baby and then continued, “I never understood why, given how Shabranigdu dominated your life, you tried to have anything resembling a normal one. For me, I embraced the powers I was given. But then, you can’t exactly embrace your powers, can you? They stem from the source of evil, so unlike me, you had to embrace being human if you were going to fight him. I didn’t understand that until now. Wanting a family was your way of asserting your humanity, only he wouldn’t let you have it.”

 

Dianna stiffened, unsure of what to think about what she was saying. Luna continued, “I couldn’t understand why, given how much effort pregnancy is and how miserable it makes women, you would go through it over and over just to come to the same tragic outcome. But now I see, when you put so much effort into something and get nothing out of it you feel cheated.”

 

Dianna looked at her cautiously as she continued. “I didn’t want a baby, but now that I’m not going to have him for long I feel cheated.”

 

Dianna batted away tears, “You know, this is still so fresh. You don’t have to make any decisions right now.”

 

Luna reached out and stroked Dianna’s hair, “I know I’ve been hard on you. And I know that you truly are your parents’ daughter. But you were the closest thing I have to a child of my own until today. Closer even than your sisters. I didn’t have to train them like I did you.”

 

Dianna wiped away tears from her eyes as Luna continued, “And the best thing was that when I got tired of you I could saddle you with my sister and she couldn’t send you away because you were hers!”

 

Dianna gave a watery laugh and wrapped her into a hug. Luna looked at her son, “This could become my obsession. But I don’t want it to be. Perhaps I could go on to have a healthy one, but seven years later I could find myself in your position. I’m going to end this here.”

 

Dianna nodded, “Do you want me to stay or go?”

 

Luna stroked her son’s dark hair. “I want to be alone with him. While I can.”

 

Dianna nodded. “I’ll check on you in the morning.”

 

* * *

 

 

Dianna quietly walked into her parents’ house. She still wasn’t ready to face Kenneth. And besides, she had to do her rounds. She walked over to her parents’ room and knocked as she came in, “And how are we settling in?”

 

Lina looked up from the bed where she was nursing Pomona while Gourry was sorting through some linens. “Going well.” Lina said. “She’s nursing like a champ and I’m starting to get my energy back.”

 

Dianna sat on the bed, “Well, you’re still bedbound for another day.”

 

Lina smiled at her indulgently, “Yes ma’am.”

 

“Stop lying.” Gourry said, “I caught you out of bed twice already. One more time and I’ll have to tie you down!”

 

“Shut up, Gourry.” Lina said. “How are you doing, Di?”

 

“I’m better now.” She said. And she was telling the truth. The fact that she was now not the only woman in the family to lose a baby had helped her gain some perspective. And that she had been in no way involved with the delivery and could say with a clear conscience that she had not doomed Luna’s baby also helped.

 

Lina smiled at her, but Dianna picked up on the worried tint to it. “Hey, your father and I were talking and we were wondering if you wanted to be her godmother.”

 

Dianna looked at her in surprise. Somehow she had thought they would appoint Attie for the job. “Really?”

 

“Of course. I’m afraid we can’t let you alone with her, but we want you to be a part of her life, and, well, your father and I aren’t as young as we used to be so we’re going to need a bit of help with her, so you can come over as much as you want and change all of the diapers you want!”

 

Dianna laughed and put a hand on her knee as she remembered some of the things Luna had said. “I’d be honored.” Then Dianna smiled as she looked at the baby, “And hand her over and let me hold her before I fireball you!”

 


End file.
